• A young reporter walked through the streets of New Babylon, smoking a cigarette and looking nervously over his shoulder. He had been contacted earlier that day by a man who was the headmaster of a branch of a secret occult called the Archaic. Having been deeply interested in secret cults and societies since he was 10, the 26 year old reporter had thought of this as a kind of field day. he didn't even try to look for one, one found him! His knowledge of The Archaic was limited because they were one of the most notoriously obscure cults out there. all he knew is that they were first sighted in Japan in the mid 1200's, but now he was on his way to a meeting with them at their own building, and if he can judge by the kind of houses on the street, the place was an old fashioned Mansion.

    He arrived at the address that they gave him, 1217 Zetsai Street, and could tell by the massive ornate number 1217 forged into the 12 foot tall wrought-iron fence where the driveway began. he looked up and down the fence. a dark red brick that gave the illusion of age topped with iron spikes every 6 inches or so. there was even a sign every 20 feet with the label "Warning: Electric Fence" which was probably meant to scare people away. The reporter turned back to the gate and found a small call box on the left hand side at what would have been eye level if his car hadn't been impounded. He pressed the button and a small screen came to life just above a series of holes that were probably a mic. On the screen, a man in a black suit sat perfectly in the center. "Hey. Im Dan Metzt, I got an invitation to come inside by a 'Master' Genz." The reporter waited while the sentry commed to someone to confirm that his presence was asked for before finally letting him in.

    "Enter the compound Manor and use the third door on the left. any deviation from this course will violate the privacy of the masters. Proceed." The sentry had a voice so deep that it bordered on creepy, but Dan had dealt with such voices on several occasions for interviews. But who was that guard kidding? Dan Metzt is a reporter! nobody could keep him from a good scoop! Dan entered the main building, now noticing that there were at least 4 other small buildings in the facility, and paused at the first door. he fingered a rip in his jacket and produced a thin wire-like string, a fiber optic cable. he attached one end to his glasses, which he now removed from his pocket, and slipped the other end under the crack in the door. He only got a second to glimpse what was inside before something snatched the cable from the other side of the door. Dan prepared to meet whoever was on the other side, but when nobody came out, he decided to continue with his meeting. he Proceeded to the third door.

    He knocked loud and clear on the door and was welcomed in by a man, the "Master Genz" whom he had met earlier that day. "Welcome Danny! Welcome to the Sanctum of the Archaic! I've told my colleagues of your interest in our ceremony tonight and their eagerness is unending. Please, come in! come in! We're just about to begin."

    "Thank you Master Genz, for inviting me to witness this amazing ceremony. if your colleagues eagerness is anything to compare to my own, than they must be nearly clawing their way through the walls!" Of course Dan didn't mean a word of it, but better to have the leader on his side until the story is published, full audio/video coverage documenting the secrets of a cult more shrouded in mystery than the writer of the bible.

    "You may sit there Dan," said Master Genz. "But our laws dictate that we stand for the duration of the ceremony. Im sure you understand." Master Genz had motioned to an ornate chair near the center of the room.

    Score! not only do i get invited to witness a rare ceremony, I get a front seat! "Of course. so long as its alright with you. If i believe what you say i'll see, than ill join in a heartbeat." Dan was referring to what Master Genz had said to him only 6 hours ago in that bar on 4th street, the Loso, if Dan recalled correctly. Master Genz had said that their ceremony brings a god to Earth to partake in the festivities and to give life to all of the members. Dan inwardly laughed at their foolishness. Everybody knew that religion was fake now. these men were still living in the seventeenth century if they believed otherwise. He sat down and set his glasses to record from tiny cameras just over both eyes, allowing the recording to be in full 3d.

    Then Master Genz mounted a golden mask on his face and it was than that Dan noticed the other 5 people in the room all bore similar masks. they began to chant in Unison, "Udos lar pholor dos gi senger d' sengeren! Udos lar pholor dos ulu plynn d' nindol or'shanse lu' tlu'og udossa dosst e'et dro! Doer fotus gi ilharn d' udossa dalharen! Doer fotus ulu morfeth udossa rinovdro wun l' i'dol d' udossta qos ilharn!" Though Dan couldn't make out a meaning to the words, the language seemed oddly familiar. But such thoughts were lost as soon as he actually saw something. a single pair of vibrant ice blue eyes were glowing like fire in the air in between the Masked men. A dark figure soon manifested around the eyes, giving way to a man who was nearly 7 feet tall and was clearly well muscled. But most of all, after the figure appeared, a massive sword materialized beside it. The sword may have been 6 feet long and a full foot wide, but its size isn't what took his breath away. It seemed to be made of Diamond! glistening in the faint light, there could be no mistaking it! But inside of the sword was a dark mass, like a cloud or something. After he looked into the murky depths of the blade for a minute, he began to feel something, something like an itch in the back of his head, beneath the skull where he couldn't reach it.

    Dan tried to reach back and scratch the annoying itch which was distracting him from this spectacle, but found that he couldn't move his own body. The sword was now in the hands of the Tall man and the worshipers were now speaking in such low tones as to be impossible to understand. The tall being approached Dan, who was now panicking, when he felt the itch stop and an icy presence flood his mind.

    I am Tachinori, as my acolytes call me. I am a god of the void, and you will soon be one with a true god. Than it laughed! it could feel the horror in Dans mind and it liked it. There was another presence there too, and though it said nothing, he could feel the intensity coming from it in waves. It was than that Dan lost all hope of ever seeing his bed again. He would never lose his virginity, he would die alone surrounded by cold and merciless beings who couldn't be human. no human could put another person through this, no matter how evil they were. Dan wished for death to come. even hell would be better than this horrible laughter. Dan could now see things in the corner of his eyes. People, many many people, even planets, all ethereal and all dark and all without hope. he managed to let out a single blood curdling scream before Tachinori made contact with him. This sword was the god, Dan realized. And i will be one with a god of nothing. One with nothing..... God help me.